Cool News For Scrappers

It's been a really long time ... A lot has happened in the world ... Even more in our personal lfe ... But I just had to share this for any readers who scrap:

You know when people look at your scrap book pages and then comment on how they would "love a copy" of that photo that's been glued/adhered down?

Now at Archivers (check their website for your nearest location) you can get full sized 12 inch copies ... Yes you can get a copy of the entire page! You can even get it shrunk down to a smaller 8 inch size if you want to make a sort of "souvenir" album.

I called my local store and they said that copies start at $3.49 a sheet ... I would assume (but I could very well be wrong) that to shrink it might cost a tad more.

I can see where this would come in handy for weddings - one main album for the bride/groom, and copies for the parents and the people who stood up - maybe even the officiate if they are a personal friend ...

Maybe that favorite aunt who couldn't make it ...
One for each of the kids later in your life ...
Or grandiose ...

How about baby books? Make the main one for your family and copies for each set of grandparents ...
Ones for the Godparents ...

What about bridal/ baby showers? Same thing ... Main one for mom/dad/baby ... Some for the grandparents .... Maybe a book that not only has pictures of things like baby's sonogram but also photos of mom &dad as kids thru the years for comparison ... What a precious gift this would be! Just make copies of the parents baby pictures so that the grandparents can get their photos back ... Most grandparents will have them either loose, in some of those albums where the photos just slide in, or in one of those albums that had the tiny sticky dot pages ...

HINT: if you do have photos on those old photo books with the sticky dots,be very careful removing them ... after being there for 20-30 years we found that they will be PERMENATELY stck and maybe damaged while trying to remove them from the page.

Check at Archivers (sorry but they are the experts on this one) and see if they have a product to dissolve the glue without damaging the photos.

I mean I know there is something out there - it's like Goop-Off or lighter fluid ( BUT DON'T USE THOSE) but it's a liquid that comes in a nozzle bottle that you squeeze on and it will gently eat the glue but the photo has minimum damage to it.

Any how ...

Just wanted to share about the copies ...

I think it's a wonderful idea ... Even if it is expensive - you are probably only to need/want this type of service so price will be a smaller factor in the long run.

Now We're in Trouble

The only thing that has kept the world from being run by dogs is the lack of an opposable thumb - at least in my world :-D

Well guess what?? There is one! Its an old breed which is trying to get AKC recognition, Lundehund .... it has 6 toes if you count the dew-claw ... one toe (where the thumb is) is triple jointed and there is one double jointed toe that has tendons and everything like our fingers!!

As you can see above - and yes I had to do a double take - there are 5 toes on those feet ... and no it is not just a dropped down dew-claw, it still has one of those!

I've only known one other creature that had extra toes and that was hubby's old cat "22 Toes" that he had before we got married and I discovered I am allergic to cats - having never grown up with cats I had no idea until we started dating .... now there's love, to give up your pet to be with someone - no I did not do the same thing with my poodle who didn't like him :-}

ANYHOW -

There are videos of the breed on Youtube .... it looks like a toy sized dog, although the standards would make them about the size of a miniture Poodle (about as tall as your knee, 12-15 inches).

Hogwarts Sock Swap 6

Finished both heels -- although I had to veer away from the original pattern to do it ... I have issues doing w&t short-row heels on toe up - don't know what it is, it just happens ... so did basic short row where you skip doing the last st of the row and just pass the last st worked back onto the working needle after the turn ... easy peasy ... then on the gusset you knit the last live st with the first waiting st then M1L.

Interesting stuff. Made a couple of big holes but those were easy enough to pick tighter ...

so photos you might ask?

Hate to spoil the surprise for my partner but I'm kind of proud of the heels ... the colors look much better in person than they do in the photo - this makes it look more orange than in real life, and with the flash it washes it all out.


well I'm a little behind on the socks ... due to trip to MOA yesterday to get son's new glasses & half day gone missing since I had to wait for the railroad spike to remove itself from the top of my head .... much better now.


after the heel turn, I start expanding for the ankle -- while working the pattern st across the front of the foot ... it winds up beginning on row 5 instead of 8 as I thought it would because of the arch expansion ... but as it actually works out well because then when I finish with the expansions and get ready for the legs they will start on the proper row.

I'm glad instinct told me to do what the pattern did not.

At first I was concerned that the heel seemed to be too shallow ... but with the expansion rounds it should work out fine.

The big concern now is - the size ... all I can do is hope they fit since my partner's feet are much smaller than mine so I can't try them on to make sure they will go over the heel ... keeping fingers crossed.

Reality Check

Now keeping in mind all the trouble Bush got into for continuing to read to the FL school children when the Twin Towers were attacked ....

What was President Obama doing when they were detaining the Underwear Bomber & checking the other planes to make sure all was okay?

Going for hikes in the hills of Hawaii

Playing on the Beach

Dinner with the Troops --
Noble but I think they for sure would understand if the
President had to cancel due to a Terrorist Alert

Playing Golf
Well okay, this picture was taken
on New Years Eve ... but it was
reported that he was on the course
the day it happened.

So where is the critism of Obama for not ending his vacation and rushing back to Washington DC when all this occured?

Have you heard a single peep?

Any outrage from supporters like Oprah Winfrey or Joy Behar?

Or is Obama 'teflon coated'? Like Bill Clinton?

Hey - what's good for the Goose .... !

Hmmmm ....

Can you say "Nixon 2"???

SHOW N TELL : HSS5 Update

Okay some quick update photos:

this is the arch expansion on the foot ... all the inc are under the foot keeping the top smooth for a pattern.

This photo is after the heel turn -- it is a different type of turn let me tell you! you end up doing the heel gusset/grafting without even realizing it, but it is done in two seperate moves.

here is a quick look at the leg ... don't worry, it will be different afterwards ... it turned out too tight to slip over the heel so I will have to frog them and use the next sized needle..

The stretch problem seems to be happening where the colors switch every other stitch ... moving up a needle size will change the st/in ratio and should allow enough room to pull over the heel (it was still stretchy due to the properties of wool, but not enough)

Okay, I openly admit that while proud of how well this little bird shows up - it wasn't the 'scattered' look I was hoping for. I should have put more brown and less blue in the skein, and on a smaller-more frequent repeat- so that the colors would have 'flashed' more than pool ... but not so close that they would stripe every row the way that Shephard Socks seems to do.

Although, while I didn't like the way 'Bee Stripe' worked out ... the "Becca's Last Day" is working out great.

Kick It Out!!!

Yes I'm a Heart fan ... at least an early Heart fan.

here is the baby blanket that I rushed out ... not bad really - I did it assembly line style - all row 1s, sll row 2s, etc until each square was done.

Of course being a baby afghan helped a lot too - its only 1/3 the size of the original ... maybe 1/4 ... so I was easy to do the shorter rows.

I wish I had went with instinct though and added a border row of black around to keet the thickness consistant ... and maybe two rows of the Monet varigated on the outside with one last border of black -- but then that would have made too thick of a border for such a small afghan.

Well this project done -- back to my HSS5 socks ... which I have been dieing to get to all week (which is humorous because the afghan took 2 days to make but it was all the planning and the kids that took up my time)

so I redyed the blue/brown yarn ... which wasn't really brown at all .... well this time I gave it a good cooking in pure strong coffee with just a dash of vinegar to set the color. rinsed it until the water ran clear ... I really like the color, its almost as ark as my daughter's hair.

From Hogwarts Sock Swap 5

The center ball is the original main color and the original brown was about 2 shades darker, but when it worked up it just wasn't enough of a difference and the yarn was lost in the pattern - this will work out much better.

now I just need to redo those stitches I had to pull out to do the redye and then I can book out these socks.

hubby is out of town most of next week -- I suffer from insomnia, especially when he's out of town, so I will have plenty of time to tick them off.

they should look sooooooo cutee!!!!

Show-N-Tell

Well hubby got the photos from his camera downloaded so here are some shots from the "Knit/Crochet Out 2009" of the kids ... well okay photos of just one kid turned out.

I've never used hubby's cell to take photos so I was very glad with the Photo with Blue & my youngest turned out -- what a cutey.

My youngest son was enchanted with the giant sock monkeys on the stage -- me? I wanted to start knitting up the yarn on those balls -- I wish I had taken a closer look though ... they looked like they were made with giant ribbon yarn so I'm betting that it was really giant strips of knitting wrapped around styrofoam cores -- but can you imagine all the knitting just for a display?? Even if they had machine knitted it, it would have taken days to make just one strip for one ball - they had at least 5 balls.

Yes this is schmeered, its not your eyes or your computer -- I didn't realize that I had to keep completely still for so long after taking the photo ... oh well ... you can kind of see my youngest modelling her sweater & hat combo ... now if only I could remember the pattern number.

I did have a photo of my older daughter but the phone said it was full and couldn't save any more photos so when hubby downloaded, while we could see it on the phone it didn't transfer. Aw shucks.

And look who else we found there!! We didn't realize the Lion Brand mascot would be there, and I couldn't get any of the kids to stand by him either but he posed for me just the same.

What a good sport. he was gone later though when we finally stopped to get in line.

See it behind him?? We asked one of the ladies how long she had been there since she was almost up to the booth and she said 20 minutes! We opted to wait until after the fashion show to go thru the line, and I'm glad we did.

We went instead to Barnes & Noble (did I write about this here already, or was it one of my other blogs?) for a quick bite to eat in the Starbuck's Cafe - hey, if you have a B&N membership your discount applies there too - and split a turkey club sandwich 4 ways (they were very nice about it) and a drink for each.

Then we bought some books ... me an almanac, my son a comic book, my oldest daughter a romance novel and my youngest daughter "The Knitting Answer Book" ... and what do you know but the author of that very book was there to sign them in the hallway right by where the girls were modelling.

I was kind of hoping to get the autograph in the book before she got back to where I had been sitting, but they got changed out of their showpieces before I got done ... I had stood in line for 20 minutes when suddenly the author came up to us and said we didn't need to stand in line just to get an autograph!

She was very nice and asked my daughter a few questions ... and then she signed the book for her special! It was great! It will be a day my daughter should remember for the rest of her life.

What a day of memories --- all three of them said it was something they want to do every year from now on ... we will have to see how things work out.

I'm So SORRRY....

Okay I am not making fun of this pattern (Fishy Hat in the Winter 2008 issue of Knitty) ... and really I'm not trying to ... as a designer I have to admit that my tastes are not always those of other people ... and this isn't a tear at the pattern at all - I love them and am thinking they would be great for the cabin, especially in the early mornings or autumn when it is so cold but I can't get the kids off the dock.

No this comment is more about the photograph .... so if anyone is going to get upset with me, it will probably be the photographer.

Here it is -- those kids look so happy don't they?


What, they couldn't get one of those kids to crack a smile?? it just strikes me as strange because photos are how you "sell" a pattern, even a free one -- yet they used a photo that makes it look like the kids really don't want to be caught wearing them .... can't you hear the 'aw mom, do I have to?"s now?

There are three photos of these kids with the pattern - one is a very funny/cute one with the fish pulled all the way down so it looks like the fish are swallowing their heads ... lol ... but none of them show the kids enjoying these hats - although the last photo does show a partial smile on the smallest one ... I'm wondering if the words "last photo" weren't spoken just before it was taken .... or maybe "who wants ice cream?".

One of these things is not like the other ...

Don't like the lanes they made?

Just make your own!

This is being listed as a 'crash' on our local traffic monitor ... hmmm ... doesn't quite look like a 'crash' to me ... more like a 'slide' - that gets classified as a 'spin out'
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Something just doesn't seem right in this photo ...

Can YOU spot it?

That's right, all the traffic is disobeying the law and not moving over one lane so that emergency vehicles can get to the scene.

Smiles from Heaven

I absolutely love this photo! I found it via Fox News ... there is a double conjunction this week between the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter.

But since the Moon is in its thumbnail or crescent phase such that they make this lovely little picture.

Look Heaven is smiling down on the world .... or is it more that they are laughing at us? doesn't it look like a very mischievous wink in there??

Hmmm, have to wonder what they know that we don't ... oh yeah, Obama is going to be in charge.

never TOO much of Snape!!

Found this online and just had to share ... now if only I could get the real issue (LOL) ... of course like most men, I have a feel he got better with age.

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And another nummy:

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Oh man, too bad the photo shop on this one is so crummy - they didn't do a very good job at trying to join head to shoulders - but its a great thought;

SHOW-N-TELL

Ooo its been a while, huh? Well here are some shots of the socks I'm working on for my daughters graduation ... in two years (so there isn't a rush yet to finish them).

You know you bought too much Easter candy when ....

they rise up against you!

LOL ... not my photo, found it online at the Pioneer Press website -- they had a contest for the best Diorama using peeps. This one came in 3rd place ... I don't know ... I like it a lot better than the other two placers.

The description from the creator said that this kid is only 3 and they had to have everything set up right and photo taken within 5 minutes because -- well -- YOU try to keep a 3 yr old to lay still for 5 minutes when they aren't sleeping!

I worked with 3 yr olds for 6 yrs -- I'm telling you its nearly impossible! Heck try to get them to sit still for a video, that was comical somedays...especially in a room with over 10 of them.

Not my dog....but she'd do it too!

Funny Videos

ADULTS ONLY

The Male Brain

SORRY THIS WAS REMOVED

WHEN i REALIZED IT WAS MORE

THAN JUST YOUR

EVERYDAY CARTOON PICTURE

SORRY

SORRY

SORRY.

Even the Wild Life Supports Our Troops

Funny Videos

'nuff said.

I know this will be considered rude....

by a lot of people. It is definitely against exchange etiquette...but my partner has had her package for a month now and still has not posted photos of the socks I made for her, and the HSS2 site has disappeared ---so I'm just going to do it.

I liked them.
here they are...made with Lorna Lace's Shepherd sock yarn in BeeStripe with Gypsy in Raven.




here is a overall view. I used two different patterns, one top-down, one toe up. It changed the way the yarn pooled and how the heel worked up too.




Here's a detail of the heels. I really like both of them although the heels are different. I like them both for different reasons. The top-down had a nice thick back to it, however the toe-up has a thick area under the heel (which would suit my needs)

The toes turned out more pointed than I had hoped, especially on the toe-up, but that was because I forgot to increase my decreas and kept dec'ing everyother row.
The top-down I ended with a three-needle-bind-off which leaves a slight ridge on the inside, but then most socks I know have a slight ridge there. The toe-up used the figure8 cast on and I think I started with too few a loops which also helped to create the pointed toe.

I used the Gypsy to dress up the top so these socks can be used in the springtime too when the weather calls for shorts....or maybe I'm just more adventuresome than most....also it has a great tactal quality that I wanted to incorporate, it feels just like fur against the skin {no animals were hurt}. It also had the added benefit of hiding a slight difference in the height of the socks caused by switched needle sizes on the cuff.

Now I had planned it all out for one sock to be done with a size 4 and the other with a size 2...had the gauge worked out and everything and it should have worked out great...but when my daughter sat on my needle and I had to switch pairs it was just enough to set things off.

Its really too bad that I don't know how my partner feels about these socks--or maybe I do--because they are the most expensive thing I have EVER made, including my crocheted blanket/shawl that took over 10 skeins of yarn (its what taught me about yarn weights).

At $11 per sock (yep, $22 for the pair) I had really hoped to have seen some sort of acknowledgement on her blog if not the group. It hurts but you know what?

I'll live. I'll still make and give gifts. And I will never spend that much EVER again for a stranger. NEVER.

My Socks Have Arrived

Well, I guess I should say my partner's socks have arrived at her place...oh the beauty of racking numbers....I don't have my computer hooked up to my pictureHD right now, but when I do I will take out this sentence and put in a photo of the socks (but here is a sneak peek showing how the yarn worked up).

I hope she likes them.....despite the problems, I really had fun making the package up....I just wish I could have added more for her.

New header photos

ooo....I have some new photos of my main gargoyle to use for my header....I will have to download them from my sd card and get some new ones made up.

Kids and I had a blast finding things for George I, as we have dubbed him, to hold and wear. He is such a great sport to let us do it. I think he really appreciated the vacuming off too--he was pretty thick with dust...being in the corner of the room he tends to get a tad neglected during knitting season.

Got hubby started on a gargoyle collection about 3 years ago {actually he's into dragons, I'm into gargoyles} and we stared naming them after the Weasleys....Fred and Ginger (we didn't know Ginny's real name, and Astair & Rogers were a great team} sit outside guarding the driveway....Percy sits in the bedroom window keeping an eye on the intersection....Bill & Charlie are on top of the piano....the others are scattered around the house--you should have one in each window to keep the evil spirits away you know....if you don't like goyles you should hang small mirrors facing outward. The evil spirit sees its own reflection and is frightened away.

I have fun with my hubby's goyles....as you can see from the photo at the bottom of my blog page....just had to play with them in the snow.